South Essex director of coaching Scott Hann “humbled” to receive MBE

SEGC’S Director of Coaching Scott Hann was awarded an MBE in recognition of his enormous contribution towards helping countless young gymnasts, and his role in making Great Britain a global gymnastics superpower.

Hann, who lives in Basildon with wife Jamie-leigh and their two children, was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List on June 17.

The 36-year-old, who grew up in Harlow, has brought through international gymnasts including Reiss Beckford, Brinn Bevan and Max Whitlock – leading the latter a double Olympic gold medal triumph at the Rio 2016 Olympics (the pair are pictured above).

Hann has also worked tirelessly at grassroots level with boys and girls entering the sport, and developed coaches, judges and other members of the gymnastics community in the UK and overseas.

He has also helped make South Essex Gymnastics Club, based at the Basildon Sporting Village, one of the top venues for the sport in the world.

The club regularly hosts international gymnasts and coaches and has a waiting list of thousands looking to join one of its popular classes.

Hann said: “I am hugely honured and humbled by this of course.

“For me it is a reflection of the huge team of people who have helped me along my journey.

“I know people see the top end stuff with Max in recent years, and that is something I am enormously proud of.

“But there are so many others who have played a huge part along the way – and the MBE represents all of their hard work really.”

Hann started as a gymnast at the age of three at the Bush Harlow Gymnastics Club and began coaching when he was 14.

He moved to South Essex Gymnastics Club’s former Basildon-based site in Cranes Farm Road to work under coach Jeff Davis when he was 18 and took over coaching the men’s artistic programme when he was 20.

Hann added: “I was not the most talented gymnast but I found I was very passionate about coaching. It was very rewarding, having the chance to give kids opportunities that I never had.

“The future for me now is about helping these incredible seniors have success over the next three to seven years.

“And it is also about making sure the next generation of coaches come through at South Essex to ensure it continues its success for decades to come.”